A METHOD FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF FECAL BACTERIA

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Gastroenterology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Intestinal conditions can be assessed through fecal analysis.
• Accurate measurement of bacterial nitrogen is crucial for understanding gut health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a simple and satisfactory method for determining bacterial nitrogen in feces.
• To establish bacterial nitrogen as a valuable index for intestinal conditions.

Main Methods:

• Involves serial centrifugalizations of a two-gram fecal sample suspended in 0.2% hydrochloric acid.
• Concentration and alcohol extraction of the bacterial suspension.
• Nitrogen determination in the precipitated material.

Main Results:

• The method provides complete data within approximately five days.
• One operator can process multiple samples daily.
• Average bacterial nitrogen constituted 53.9% of total fecal nitrogen in subjects on a controlled diet.
• Average daily dry bacteria calculated as 8.27 grams.

Conclusions:

• The described method is a reliable and efficient way to determine fecal bacterial nitrogen.
• Bacterial nitrogen is a significant indicator of intestinal status.
• The findings suggest a higher true value for bacterial nitrogen compared to previous studies due to the absence of ether extraction.